What the drought means for the East Bay

California is in a drought. Water districts around the state are faced with difficult choices. (Flickr photo by: Angelo Gonzalez)

California is in a drought. Though the Bay Area experienced a few showers this week, far more rain is needed to make a dent in the state’s water shortage.

Last year was the driest on record, and on January 17 Governor Jerry Brown made the drought emergency official. On Friday, the Department of Water Resources director released a statement reflecting the dire situation.

“It is our duty to give State Water Project customers a realistic understanding of how much water they will receive from the Project,” Director Mark Cowin said. “Simply put, there’s not enough water in the system right now for customers to expect any water this season from the project.”